Window structure



June 7, 1960 P. s. ADER EIAL WINDOW STRUCTURE Filed March 19, 1957 INVENTORS: Flu/more 5 Adar Alexander E. Supp United States Patent WINDOW STRUCTURE Philmore S. Ader, Morton Grove, and Alexander E. Sapp, Chicago, 111., assignors to Vestaglas, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed March 19, 1957, Ser. No. 647,046

4 Claims. (Cl. 20-41) This invention relates to window structures which are easily installed or removed in their entirety from wall members, and has particular application to use in preformed wall members.

Heretofore window structures have been installed during the construction of buildings by building the wall up and around the window frame. The entire window structure cannot be removed from the completed wall member and replaced without destroying the window structure and/or a sizeable portion of the Wall member adjacent the window structure. This procedure is fol-lowed whether old style window structures or the newer unitary metal window structures are employed. When the new style unitary metal window structures are to be placed in completed wall members, it is customarily necessary to prepare an opening in the wall which is substantially larger than the size of the window structure, support the window structure within the opening, then repair the Wall member adjacent the window structure, and then seal the window structure against the repaired wall opening. The present invention eliminates or minimizes such problems and results in more economic window installations.

An object of this invention is to provide a window structure installable during the construction of a wall member or readily installable or removable from fabricated wall members in a manner which minimizes damage to the wall member and/or window structure. Another object is to provide a two-unit window structure, the glass carrying unit being readily removable and replaceable with the same or different style glass carrying unit. A further object is to provide a vent style window structure especially useful for installation in glass block wall members. A still further object is to provide a two-unit window structure in which a glass carrying unit is clamped within a housing unit at the time that flanges on both of said units engage the exterior and interior walls of the wall member and form a casing about the window structure. An additional object is to provide a means for suspending the window structure within the opening in the wall member thereby permitting sealing means to be introduced uniformly between the window structure and the wall member with minimized labor requirements.

The window structure of this invention is comprised of two units, a framed window unit and a housing unit in which said framed window unit is inserted and supported. The housing is multi-sided, e.g. box-like and has two open ends with a flange surrounding the first of said open ends. The depth of the housing is no greater than the thickness of the wall member. After inserting the housing within the opening in the wall member, a substantially complete framed window unit, e.g. a stationary or vented window unit, is inserted into the second open end of the housing and is clamped therein. A flange disposed around the framed window unit engages against the exterior wall surface and provides a weather-tight seal. Protruding means in the interior of the housing are so disposed as to engage mating means, e.g. projections associated with 2,939,185 Patented June 7, 1960 the fastening means which secure corner braces to plate members forming the sides of the housing. Spring acting members are arranged along the exterior sides of the housing to engage against the thickness of the wall member and thereby retain the housing within the opening but positioned away from the wall member itself.

For a fuller understanding of the invention and its objects, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the window structure which is comprised of a housing and a framed window unit.

Figure 2 is a top view of a blank or pattern of the plate members which are joined to form a housing having an angled flange.

Figure 3 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the angled flange formed by joining the blanks shown in Figure 2 to form the housing having the angled flange.

Referring now to Figure l, the housing 11 (which may suitably be of a metal such as steel, aluminum, etc.) is of multi-sided polygonal configuration, a box-like configuration being depicted herein. It contains rectangular sides 12, 13, 14, and 15, and has first and second open ends. A right angled flange 16 is disposed aroundthe first open end in the housing and extends away from the opening in the housing. This peripheral flange forms a casing abutting against the interior surface of the wall member 17. As shown herein, wall member 17 is constructed of glass blocks. The housing is of such depth that the second open end thereof terminates within the wall member. Spring acting members 18 and 19 are attached to the exterior sides 12 and 13 of the housing. The spring acting member may be a preformed spring steel member of wave-like construction which is securedin its center to the exterior of the plate members and tends to flatten out when pressure is applied thereto, or it may be of other spring-like construction which similarly tends to flatten against the plate member when pressure is applied to the spring member. Similar spring acting members are associated with the exterior of sides 14 and 15 of the housing and are not visible herein. These spring acting members are depressible against plate members 12, 13, etc. but their spring action suspends the housing at one point (or more if desired) along each side of the housing and prevents any exterior wall of the housing from abutting in its entirety against the interior section of the wall opening.

Window unit 21 (which may suitably be of metal such as steel, aluminum, etc.) has the same polygonal configuration as housing 11, but is of smaller size so as to whose glass panes are either clear or translucent, e.g.' frosted glass. A jalousie type window having panes 22,

22a, 22b, and 22c, is depicted herein. The window light unit has a peripheral flange 23 thereabout which abuts against the exterior surface 24 of the wall member after inserting the window unit within the housing 11.

As shown herein the housing 11 is constructed four rectangular plate members as sides. Four plate members, of a general shape as shown in Figure 2, and

3 having upstanding ends formed by bending the plate members (to form the peripheral flange of the housing) are joined together in box-like array. The joined ends of the plate members are secured at a 90 angle by means of corner braces 25, 2 6, and 27 (the fourth brace not visible herein) disposed on the exterior of the housing formed by plate members 12, 13, 14, and 15. The fastening means 28 :securing the corner braces to'the plate members protrude into the interior of the housing. Fastening means 28 may be rivets, screws whose heads are positioned in the-interior of the housing, or other suitable means which provides a projection extending slightly into the interior of the housing 11. The braces and the fastening means are so located along the depth of housing 11 that the fastening means which protrude into the interior of the housing engage projections 353D? ciated with the window unit and thereby clamp the window unit within the housing when flange 23 of the window unit abuts against the exterior surface 24 of the wall member. As shown herein upstanding ridge, 29, which is of substantially lesser height than flange, 23, constitutes the projection on the window unit which engages fastening means 28. Other fastening, engaging, or mating means may be associated with housing 11 and window unit 21 so as to engage and clamp the window unit within the housing.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a top view of a blank or pattern of a plate member which is employed in forming the housing. The pattern shown in Figure 2 is used to form a box-like housing having a flange which is disposed about the exterior of the hous-,

ing at :an acute angle, -i.e. the flange is directed above the housing as depicted in Figure 3. When such a housring is employed, the acute angled flange tightly abuts the interior surface of the wall member and prevents any of the material used to form a seal between the exterior side of the housing and the thickness of the wall member from leaking between the flange and'the interior surface of the wall member and despoiling the latters surface. In forming this housing having the acute angled flange, the blank or pattern consists of a rectangle 31 having an expanding truncated pyramid 32 along one side thereof. The base of the pyramid is parallel to the opposite side of the rectangle, and the top of the truncated pyramid is of the same length as the opposite side of the rectangle and is parallel to the opposite side of the rectangle and the base of the pyramid. To form the acute angled flange when the pattern is bent along dotted line 33 and the plate members joined at their ends 34 and 36 to form the housing, it is essential that the angles 37 at the base of the pyramid be greater than 45 and not more than about 60 (the larger the angle, the more acute is the angle of the flange). After joining the ends 34 and 36 to the similar ends of other plate members, the sides 38 and 39 of the truncated pyramid may be joined by welding, etc. to the adjacent sides of the other plate members (after the plate members have been bent along lines 33 to the proper acute angle so that sides 38 and 39 meet with the sides of adjacent plate members) to form the rnitered corners. The resultant acute angle flange imparted to the housing unit is shown in a fragmentary perspective view in Figure 3. It has the advantage of forming a more leak-proof seal when it abuts the exterior surface of the wall member than does a conventional right-angle flange.

In installing the window structure of this invention within an opening in a wall member having thickness, an opening is made in the wall of slightly larger size than the size of the'housing. The housing is then inserted within the opening in the wall member, the spring acting members 18, 19, etc, serving to suspend the plate members 12, 13, etc} of the housing away from the wall thickness. The housing 11 is introduced into the opening until flange 16 abuts against the interior surface of the Wall member 17. Thereafter mortar or other sea-l- 4 ing material may be introduced between the exterior of the housing and the wall member to seal the annular space. Because the housing is suspended in this opening, a more uniform distribution of the sealing material can be obtained. Thereafter the window unit 21 is in-' serted and telescoped within the housing 11 until the projection 29 engages the protruding ends of fasteners 28 in the interior of housing 11 and clamps the window unit within the housing at the time when flange 23 abuts the exterior surface of the wall member. When using the angled-flange housing, it is preferred to insert the Window unit within the housing until the projection 29 engages the protruding ends of the fasteners and clamps the window unit within the housing at the time the flanges tightly abut the exterior and interior wall surfaces; thereafter the sealing material is introduced through opening 43 within peripheral flange 23. The sealing material, egfrnortar, etc. can be introduced through openings 43 and directed between the exterior of housing 11 to fill the annular space between the exterior of housing 11 and the wall member. Screws or other fastening means are inserted from inside window unit 21 through holes 41 in the window unit and then through holes 42 in the housing to permanently attach the window unit to the housing.

Other modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled'in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A doubly flanged window structure adapted for installation in a multi-sided opening in a completed wall member having thickness, comprising in combination, a window light unit having glass panes, a window frame means enclosing said window unit, said window frame means including a peripheral flange adapted to form a casing on the exterior side of the wall member around said opening, a multi-sided housing for said window frame means which is inserted within the opening in the wall member and has a depth no greater than the thickness of said wall member, said housing being of substantially polygonal configuration having first and second open ends, the first of said open ends having a peripheral flange there'about which is adapted to form a casing on the interior side of said wall member around said opening, said window frame means having the same polygonal configuration as said housing and being inserted therein, a thin outwardly extending ridge which circumscribes the exterior of said frame means and said ridge being located on said window frame unit at a point distant from and parallel to the peripheral flange attached to the window frame unit, a plurality of knob-like projections fixedly attached to said housing and extending into the interior of the housing, said knob-like projections being arranged to engage said ridge and secure the window frame means within said housing so that the flanges on the housing and window frame means are parallel.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which wave-like springacting members having definite width are fixedly attached to the exterior surface of said housing and areadapted to engage against the thickness of the wall member and retain said housing within the opening in the wall member without substantial abutment of the housing against the wall member.

3. A window structure adapted for installation in a completed wall member having thickness, comprising in combination, a rectangular window light unit having movable glass panes, a rectangular window frame means enclosing said window light unit, said window frame means including a peripheral flange adapted to form a casing on the exterior side of the wall member around the opening therein, a rectangular housing for said window frame means which is inserted within the opening in the wall member and has a depth no greater than the thickness of said wall member, said housing having first and second open ends with the first of said open ends having a peripheral flange thereabout which is adapted to form a casing on the interior side of said wall member around the opening therein; said housing being formed by joining in rectangular relationship four plate members each having upstanding edge, the upstanding edges aligning to form the peripheral flange, right angle corner braces securing the joined ends of the plate members, fastening means securing the corner braces to the plate members, said fastening means having a knob-like end projecting into the interior of the housing; said window frame means being inserted Within said housing, a thin outwardly extending ridge which circumscribes the exterior of said window frame means and said ridge being located on said window frame unit at a point distant from and parallel to the peripheral flange attached to the window frame unit, the corner braces and the fas tening means securing the corner braces to the plate members being arranged to enable the knob-like projections of said fastening means to engage said ridge and secure the window frame means within said housing in spaced relationship such that the flanges on the housing and window frame means are parallel.

4. The Window structure of claim 3 in which the housing is formed of four plate members having a pattern consisting of a rectangle having an expanding truncated pyramid along one side thereof, the base of the pyramid being parallel to the opposite side of the rectangle and having angles at the base of said pyramid greater than but not more than said four plate members being joined in rectangular structure having two open ends, the plate members being bent to form an acute angle at the junction of the rectangle with the top of the truncated pyramid thereby forming a flange about the first open end of the housing, the side of the truncated pyramid being fastened to the sides of the truncated pyramid of the adjacent plate members thereby forming an angled flange about the first open end of said housing.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,948,602 Tracy Feb. 27, 1934 2,124,775 Haugaard July 26, 1938 2,293,648 Horn Aug. 18, 1942 2,538,749 Kerbaugh Jan. 23, 1951 2,651,814 Lester Sept. 15, 1953 2,742,117 Tolman Apr. 17, 1956 2,826,282 Goldberg Mar. 11, 1958 

